The Southern

DEFENDANTS SAY LAWSUIT POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
BY JIM MUIR
THE SOUTHERN
[Thu Aug 12 2004]
EDWARDSVILLE -- Doug Wojcieszak and Tom Denton, the Southern Illinois public relations consultants who were named earlier this week as defendants in a Madison County lawsuit, came out swinging Thursday calling the charges "politically motivated" and "frivolous."
Wojcieszak and Denton, who both are associated with Tactical Consulting in Carbondale, were named in a four-count complaint alleging they intimidated and conspired to violate the constitutional rights of Dwight Kay of Edwardsville and his two minor children. Kay serves as the finance chairman for Republican Lloyd Karmeier, who is running for a seat on the Illinois Supreme Court from the 5th Judicial District against Democratic candidate Gordon Maag.
The lawsuit was filed by Belleville attorney Stephen McGlynn, who serves as co-chairman of the Illinois Republican Party.
The bitterly fought campaign between Karmeier and Maag has been highlighted by charges and countercharges of dirty politics and also is being touted as one of the most expensive campaign ever waged in Illinois with some political experts predicting that as much as $5 million -- the majority of it doled out by interest groups -- will be spent on this election.
Wojcieszak, noting that he was speaking for himself and Denton, issued a press release and did not mince words concerning the lawsuit.
"We deny all charges," said Wojcieszak. "We had some serious questions about the background of Lloyd Karmeier's finance chairman, and now they are suing to stop those questions. We were doing the same thing that news reporters do every day, which is ask questions and gather facts. This is lawsuit abuse."
According to the suit Denton and Wojcieszak went to the Edwardsville home of Dianne Kay, the ex-wife of Dwight Kay on July 13. The two men identified themselves as licensed investigators and told her that they were investigating Dwight Kay in regard to a disability claim.
The two men then asked for medical information and also made inquiries about Dwight Kay's education, including college records and his law school records. Denton and Wojcieszak then produced a copy of the couple's divorce file and begin inquiring from Dianne Kay about facts alleged in the divorce.